pajoajord oq Kew jeuoye 6} 41San03u A3SSAdO LIL bLle. oO USVI9S | YSy :HoneI0T +9 e007 ess" ofrad ro Wy 04:6 6Lozs6z/eeteq Tua senoquers 24 pen abou 0 mu eydle conus ory meus uowny opty > souinjon, ‘ABojoyohsdounou pue scusescinau pajtoosse JOAOC pue ueog Aresqyy oBeDIYD Jo AusioAtUN,ELSEVIER SCIENCE BLY P.O. Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands © 205 Evie Scece BL. All gts eserves einem ms Heer Hh Ris rh i an Berens nn eine ASI NO 79 eh Foreword “Ths book, writen by a scientist who has been engaged in EEG research since its atest days of lic application, represents comprehensive treatise ofthe numerous Sutuivision of alpha ehythn a hallmark ofthe EEG. As it reviews alpha research since its very beginning, it inevitably presents a Bir’ ee view: Tm alr endeavours to study the very nature and understanding of brain electic scsiiy theresa large diference between expeiments cari ost inthe pioneer days of {he ERG and today. These difrences are no only de to the present sophisticated fechnolgy and. as a consequence, the novel experimental faites, in-particlar Computersation, but also to the unforeseen new pathways of thinking that ave Tented These not only made possible an enlargement of previous esearch programs, promising more and move comprehensive results, but they also reveled new and often Uiexpecte fies for research, A good example inthis respect was he invention ofthe Computer of Average Transients” (CAT), which was made avaiable to neurossen tists ithe 19605 Ie as exactly this too that led to the sucess of EVP and ERP Irsearch, domain which keeps growing even now. Another invention with even more Jmmpacton the grection of brain research was the echnologel exploitation of magnetic fk and of nuclear magnetic resonance ‘The increasing number of publications in modem research areas demonsrates beyond any doubt that today’s routes of scence are guided by new technological flies rather than by the novel ideas ofan individual researcher. A majority of fresentday scientists ave inclined to be significantly sinfuenesd. by the availble Rfuipment in drfting their experiments, whereby they prefer to use the most resent technological facies, onthe sasumption that By doing so they may gam lead over Competitors It is alist generat practice today that scientist, when drafing his projet, guided by the contingency of the tools he has at his hands, rather than 10 evel at sta gine and definite research plan for the realization of which he has {o look for appropiate tools later on. For thexe reasons the development of research ‘ten follow tortuous pats lke a meandering steam. This holds even more ire for brain esearch, which sens tobe influenced more by the latest available tools and by {echnologial developments rather than by personal dea. Over and above that, brain research is being greatly faiiated and precipitated by increasing computerization {Thin togsther wih the ease wth which large numbers of results can be obtained and Statistically analysed with wolEthesbell™ computer programs, aze not only reasons for the increasing number of publications inthis fel but also for their ~on average — ‘ecresing quality” As regrettable as this may be, it can hardly be prevented, even though the selection enters inthe top-ranking journals are being improve. "Towatds the middle ofthe post century When EEG research was jus beginning, the situation in the seentiic vommunity was totaly diferent. The respective papers published at chat time were mostly based on caefl and log asing experiments, often Uiicult to be performed with the available primitive electronic equipment. Moreover Since compaters did not yet enst at that time, st was cumbersome to write-up theContents Foreword 1, Potsche (Vienna, Aust) Pesce Destisation Acknowledgements ‘Chapter 1 Am intodaction tthe alpha hyn 1 Introduction > Ap sand brain Function 3 What does alpha do? {The discovery ofthe alpha rhythm 5 Alpha and the concept of attention { More on alpha characteristics. Some current ideas about brain function 8 Conciading marks CChapler 2: More on alpha ehythm characteristics 1 Introduction 2 Alpha shythm and alpha activity 3 Mule alpha rhythms ‘The onigin of alpha activity 5 Intrasubjectvanabiity 2.6 Intracaubject variability: arousal and attention, 7 The concept of attention. 1 Alpha and attention 3 Pssehological correlates of alpha sctivty 1 i (0 Relation of alpha rhythm to beta oseilitions. 2 Alp, gender and age 3 Concluding remarks (Chapter 3: Alpha In vison an 31 Introduction 32. The anatomy of vision 33 Predominance ofthe relation of alpha to vision u 33